What is in full bloom now...April 1 to April 15th, 2010.

Another non-bloom. A log covered with gorgeous lichen.

Meanwhile, the greenhouse has to add to the show. Clivia.

Edited to add: please, please ignore the dirty windows!

This message was edited Apr 7, 2010 8:02 AM

My second cymbidium to bloom this year.

As usual, beautiful photos. Brightens my dreary rainy day. My granddaughter just returned from Mountain School (5th grade, Diablo Dam area) and provided me with this invaluable information succinctly explaining the symbiotic association of lichens -- Fred Fungus builds the house, but Alice Algae does the cooking.

Your pictures are very pretty. Love the log and camellia.

Lamium blooming (I think White Nancy), it tends to show up wherever it wants and I usually let it within reason.

Goutweed (Aegopodium) at the foot of a pie cherry tree. I plan to let this further colonize so I have less grass to mow. Not in bloom per se, but mounding nicely. I know a lot of you fight this thug, but I have room for it to spread and love how it lights up an otherwise shaded spot.

Very nice photos Sharon & Bonehead. I like the lichen-covered log.

Count me in with the Goutweed sympathizers (variegated type at least). I have a nice colony of it in the dry shade bank of my little fish pond, where nothing much else will grow, and it lights up that area so nicely. But I have it in a small contained area - seeing many of your pics of large, semi-forested areas, I can see where it would be a headache.

Be careful of the 'controlled' colonizing. My SIL favored it for a spot under her cedar tree. It was quiet and contained for several years and now it's spreading outward happily and taking over her hostas and other parts of the bed.

I'm still pulling Lamiastrum 'Archangel' starts - and I took out a piece I planted a few years ago only a year after I had planted it. It's crazy!!

This message was edited Apr 9, 2010 8:44 PM

I pulled out Lamium last spring and there are always new little ones popping up. It was taking over everything and climbing up the hydrangeas. It is a very rude plant.

It's pretty scary. There are huge swaths of it in the woods here, which is pretty, but I'm not sure what it's doing to the existing ecosystem and wetlands. And I know it'll spread even further by seed if it goes to flower - I don't fool myself that I'm in control of it. For things designed as true invasives, like ivy, one can be fined for letting it grow off one's property. I'm sure it won't be long before "they" include archangel in the invasive weed category.

I'm going to end up digging up two beds to get both of these out and I'm sure I won't get them all. What I dig I'm putting in a plastic garbage can to ferment until I'm sure it's good and dead. I need to buy another plastic garbage can or two for the ivy. Some of it I'll probably include in my next burn.

I will bear your thoughts in mind, and won't let either get to my woods or wetlands (which are not actually connected to my yard, we are pretty much surrounded by fields. I do move things down to the wilder parts of our property, but limit myself to things I know will behave themselves or natives.

I do think the lamiastrum is beautiful. I'm just afraid of anything that grows too well.

I just saw this article, which says that it's been listed as a Class C noxious weed in Washington State . . .

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/920/

Reviewing the plant files, I have lamium as opposed to lamiastrum. I thought I had white nancy, but it looks more like spotted (way more boring name). It does spread easily but I don't find it difficult to just pull it up where I don't want it.

Good news!! Yes, the Lamiastrum is quite different from the Lamium, from what I hear.

Just don't let it go to seed because the seeds are spread by the wind into wild areas and then it takes over the natives.

My crabapple trees are trying so hard to bloom but it's just been too cold and rainy.

The deer came through and took off all the tulip bulbs I was hoping would be out this Sat. They have been doing a number on a lot of things this week.

Yeah, it's downright dank at my place. Like a dungeon.

Aw, Willow. What a disappointment. Those deer, cute as they are, have no respect for color!

Willow..sorry about your tulips. I will share these with you.

And a bunch on the side of my house

This message was edited Apr 8, 2010 10:52 PM

The anemones are starting. Yeah!

Blue one.

Thanks Beahive. I meant buds not bulbs. I suppose you all knew that? Those fancy primroses you sent me were having a hard time getting any growth. I put a glass over each one and they have tripled their size. I'm so happy they are going to make it.

They just (we all just) need sun and some heat, eh?

Knew what you meant Willow. Glad the poker primroses are doing better. They sure are pretty when they bloom. Yeah the weather has been just aweful. Rain,hail and a bit of sunshine in little spirts today. Weird.

Redbuds popped open, some tulips (note to self - get other colors besides yellow, cuz daffs are still blooming and it's hard to see the tulips :) ), Iberis, and the Muscari is more visible now. We had some rain last night so things are really going to burst now. We've dropped 2 degrees since I got on here this morning. Feels more like a normal spring instead of July.

Jan, I have the same problem with tulips. I have tons of daffs and only a few clumps of tulips, so why'd I go with yellow?

My pear and pie cherry (prunus somethingus) are blooming, and the native elderberries (sambucus racemose) are starting to bloom. Serviceberry (amelanchier) has been going for a bit.

Nothing new blooming here today. We have a few snow flakes and it's cooold.

I guess I just love yellow!! :) In the past, Bambis have eaten them, but I thought I'd give another go. Pretty successful. I put some screen over them in the fall at planting also to try to keep squirrels away. Only one patch had a couple buds nibbled.

Willow, bummer about the tulips! There is nothing worse than going outside to admire something that was just starting and finding it **poof** gone. Knock on wood, my deer have been foraging elsewhere so far this spring.

Bea, your blooms are lovely as usual. I just drool over the anenomes, and have never been able to grow them. I had to try again this year with a pure blue one...we will see if it outfoxes the slugs.

This weather has seemed to put my garden on hold over the last week. Everything has been changing so quickly, and now it seems like it has come to a screeching halt. My native ribes is in full bloom now, and the trillium are as well. The native mahonia is also blooming nicely, and I would FINALLY say that my skimmia is at it's fullest.

I was so excited to discover a couple of wild trillium in the woods on my hillside yesterday just by chance. They are in a spot that is a bit of a challenge to get to, and growing at the foot of a huge douglas fir. I am tempted to move them as I can only see them if I walk to the edge of the road and look down 50' of hillside, but it looks like a little fairy garden with small ferns on the trunk of the tree and moss all around that I will most likely just leave it as a "secret" garden and make an effort to take the time to climb down and enjoy at least once when they are in bloom.

Congratulations on finding another stand, Julie.

I have 100% survival in the Trilliums I moved last year, though they appear to be a little shorter than they were. I've checked the woodland and there are still tons of them there.

Check out the cubits.org cubit on Pacific Northwest native plants. Greenfield has posted a picture of a stand of Trillium that is unbelievable. It's on her property in Oregon. Clearly she has them in just the right place.

The Cypripedium I bought last year is just emerging in two different places. I thought it was the showy ladyslipper or Cypripedium reginae, but if that's true it's going to be much taller than I suspected. She's still in a pot as I'm literally terrified of killing this plant. I am digging a huge hole that I will amend with decomposing woodland material in an attempt to give her exactly what she wants. Fingers crossed . . .

Got swamp lanterns? And Darmera?

This message was edited Apr 9, 2010 5:22 PM

Primrose that I don't remember the name of.

That primrose is beautiful and we call that other one skunk cabbage.

Someday I'll have a spot for Lysichton - Skunk Cabbage - Swamp Lanterns. I just love that stuff. But sadly, no swamp.

I love the Darmera as well - got a piece from Linda a few years ago and split it with my neighbors. They have an underground spring with a wet area plus sun, so theirs is doing much better than mine. But mine is coming back, so there's hope. I'm thinking about sinking the old kiddy pool in the ground and putting it underneath as a reservoir.

That primrose is lovely - so full!

This message was edited Apr 9, 2010 8:41 PM

Thankyou I have a great area for swampy stuff. My sister had skunk cabbages that were taller than us. A native that looks exotic what could be better? (this could be subjective of course).... ;)

I have skunk cabbage all over in my wetlands - love it.

This tulip is just stunning today. Sunshine helps!!

Looks like my hosta's will need dividing this fall. They are huge so early in the season. Yeah